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For many hoteliers the period between Thanksgiving and Christmas is filled with angst. How do you build occupancy and revenue in an often uncertain business period? I recall working for an all-season resort in New England, where the period from early November through to the Holidays was called the ‘Serene Season’ – fall foliage complete and too early to ski on neighboring mountain tops but too cold for anything more than a brisk walk. Their solution was to reduce staff and close a portion of the property for well-deserved renovations. But for most properties, the idea of shuttering a wide swath of product is out of the question. Furthermore, I’d bet the majority of the readers of this article are running hotels, not resorts, and are most certainly not in New England! With this in mind, here are some approaches that have proven successful, as well as a few tactical …

A recent article in this online journal labeled OTA bashing as a ‘fashionable sport,’ and went on to dispel some common perceptions and cite reasons why you, as a hotelier, should embrace the OTAs. Read it, then step back for a minute and look at the big picture. No matter what numerical data is presented, it doesn’t refute the simple fact that the OTAs are converting your customers into theirs. One such proof is what’s called a ‘billboard’ effect, which they claim has been widely studied and verified. The concept is that your hotel is prominently mentioned on one of the OTAs for potential customers to find. This mention raises awareness of your property name so that people may go to your website, and may even make a booking there. Does anyone really think that this happens with frequency? Look at the OTA contracts, and then examine issues of channel …

Did you attend Nuit Blanche last Saturday night? As one of Toronto's best art festivals, the all-night event attracted well over half a million visitors (maybe even a million!) – all willing to brave the night and tour the downtown streets filled with visual media and interactive art displays. It was a truly remarkable fete for the city and a moment where we were all proud to be Torontonians. One of our llamas also participated as well. Sam Mogelonsky presented the neon sculpture 'Wish You Were Here' as a part of the Fly by Night exhibit at the Gladstone Hotel Art Bar. Everyone wanted to have their picture taken in front of it and no doubt it'll crop in my Facebook albums.

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